County, L.A. to Solicit Private Transit Projects Rejected by State : Transportation: Officials expect the LAX-Palmdale levitation rail to be among the proposals. The privatization plan may require legislative approval.

Spurned by the state in a recent competition to select privately built transportation projects, Los Angeles city and county officials Wednesday announced their own program under which firms will be invited to build toll highways and rail projects on public land.

The program, which might require approval by the Legislature, is patterned after one launched last month by Caltrans under which four toll roads were chosen for state approval from eight projects submitted by private bidders.

To the dismay of Los Angeles officials, the state transportation agency passed over the lone Los Angeles County entry--a $1.3-billion magnetic levitation rail line from Los Angeles International Airport to Palmdale.

Local transit officials said they hoped that the consortium which proposed the futuristic train--which would be built on pillars in the right of way of the San Diego, Golden State and Antelope Valley freeways--also will enter the project in the county’s privatization program.

Another project that officials expect to see proposed by private firms is an elevated monorail along the Ventura Freeway in the San Fernando Valley.

“Those are the most likely two,” said Nikolas Patsaouras, president of the Rapid Transit District board of directors, “but we want projects from throughout the county. We want to see what the private sector comes up with.”

Although the county privatization program has not yet been discussed by the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, which would administer it, Neil Peterson, commission executive director, predicted “very strong--probably unanimous--support.”

Inviting private firms to build transportation projects on public land is an idea that has caught on quickly among California officials searching for ways to meet the demand for traffic relief with scarce public funds.

And support comes from all points on the political spectrum.

The program was endorsed Wednesday by Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, Supervisors Mike Antonovich and Ed Edelman, the RTD’s Patsaouras and Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar), who chairs the Assembly Transportation Committee.

“Our transportation needs are greater than the public resources available to address them,” said Edelman.

An unresolved question is whether state legislation is required before Caltrans can allow private transportation projects to use freeway land.

Jerry Baxter, Caltrans Southern California district director, said Wednesday he thinks it is, but he added, “I can’t imagine why we would not support such legislation if it’s a project that improves transportation. That’s what we’re here for.”

The “maglev” line was proposed by a consortium formed by the Massachusetts-based Perini Corp., the Los Angeles engineering firm of Daniel, Mann, Johnson & Mendenhall and the HSST Corp. of Japan.